Thursday, November 30, 2017

Megadungeon Beneath Booezor

I got distracted a bit, and so this is what I have been working on...

There is a megadungeon beneath the Magic City of Booezor that stretches down through the Sculpted Mountain and deep into the earth below. It is unknown for how many levels the structure continues underground, but there are six entry points and each is a dungeon of its own: a giant magnetic termite mound, the sewer system, the tomb of the mountain's heart, the magically accelerated dumping grounds, the moonmetal mine, and the partially physical prison space the Labrynthyne.

Booezor is divided into eight "tiers", the first three are accessible to anyone (like 1st level PCs), while the other five are unlocked by amassing wealth or otherwise raising your social station:

The Weave, a
hanging shantytown and scattered caves hung from the side of the
sculpted mountain, difficult to get to, many entrances exist not
considered part of the city proper.

Bottomshelf /
Beastmile, lower cliff villages each with their own name,
difficult to get to, many entrances exist, not considered part of the
city proper, and the city's external animal market, a town in itself.

Fruitbasket / Waspnest
/ the Sprawl, the lowest main level of the city, street after
street of markets, shops, residences, taverns, lodging, and assorted
frantic industry.

Secondmarket /
Cindiband, the higher classed and more specialized markets and
shops are here, the residences higher, the entertainment more
elaborate.

Stoneforest,
bridge-connected highspires house the super-rich, the mage elite, and their clustered entertainments.

Precious Pillars,
the highest and most improbable towers belong to the most venerable
Children, unaligned magi, and the ultra-rich (1%).

The Egg, a
permanent physical extrusion, made of pure magic, of a vast
extradimensional space that serves as the campus of the Children.
Truly there is a palace within
the space the Egg describes.

So I need to continue to work on Booezor enough to comfortably run it without getting completely carried away. A bunch of boring work is done, tentative tables of item, armor, and weapon prices and which tiers of the city they are available in. Started a table for animal prices. Got an easy d100 table of types of buildings in the city. And I am waist deep in a d100 table of city rumors and another of specific NPCs, which are super cool. Oh, and this fun motivation table:

d20
Reasons to Seek the Depths

1 you seek an
ancestor's spirit trapped within a soul crystal you will know by
touch, such crystals were popular in ages past, and are found in the deeper areas.

2 you seek to confront
a specific powerful undead creature, whom you have a (personal) connection to,
and who lairs in the deepest depths.

3 you seek the water at
the source of the Haelix, one of the twin rivers that flow beneath
the city, whose current flows in an upward spiral.

4 you seek the land of
the subterranean sea fed by the mouth of the Xeeres, one of the twin
rivers that flow beneath the city, whose current flows in a downward
spiral.

5 you seek to recapture
seven unbound demons, who have installed themselves as lords of the
deeper dungeon.

6 you seek access to
the insane civilizations and beings of the 'Veins of the Earth',
which can be found through the lowest levels of the megadungeon.

7 you seek to purge the
various “cancers” of the depths, clearing held and wild areas in
the name of Tyrant or Immacula.

8 you seek the
“fortune” you feared to seek till now, the ambiguous prediction
that your fate would be found in the depths.

9 you seek ancient
magic secrets of the Shem, who first raised Booezor as a hive
countless ages ago.

10 you seek the
unplundered riches of the deepest depths, it's the only way to
finance your impossible dream.

11 you seek one of the
missing pieces of the sky for capricious Se’vensaera, broken and
hidden ages ago deep beneath the earth.

12 you seek the
Inverted Throne that is rumored to sit at the lowest point of the
megadungeon, anyone who sits upon it will be made a great ruler.

13 you seek the prize
of a noble Treasure Hunt, the mad singular desire of those who need
never try for themselves.

14 you seek the
archancient technological secrets of the Tenzoril, many believe the
deeper megadungeon to be one of their creations.

15 you seek a stable
gate to other worlds hidden in the lowest levels of the megadungeon.

16 you seek to consume
the heart of a Dragon of the Source, one of which sleeps far beneath
the city.

17 you seek the
valuable secrets of the megadungeon's structure, inhabitants, and
layout to sell, share, or hoard.

18 you seek the truth
of your hazy past, and bizarre recurring dreams you are sure point
deep below the city.

19 you seek an audience
with the Naudde, the Goddess of Mysteries herself, you will find her
avatar beyond many labyrinths, deep underground.

20 you seek to delve
deeper than has any other, you seek fame and singularity,
immortality in legend and influence.

Back soon with those tasty d100 rumor and npc tables... or something, you never know.